President Obama's first big speech on immigration reform missed opportunities to chart a political roadmap for new legislation and failed to reframe the issue's security implications, writes CFR's Edward Alden.

Immigration has been an important element of U.S. economic and cultural vitality since the country's founding. This interactive timeline outlines the evolution of U.S. immigration policy after World War II.

Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States, including tens of thousands of children, face legal limbo and possible deportation even as violence rages in their home countries, says journalist Julia Preston.

Renewing America

As the Supreme Court prepares to takeon Arizona's controversial immigration law and the Obama administration carries out nationwide sweeps, CFR's Edward Alden says that comprehensive reform remains less attainable than narrower, more targeted legislation.

Mexico's economy and tourism industry are growing despite an escalation in drug violence in recent years, says CFR's Shannon O'Neil as she discusses its implications for U.S.-Mexico relations, immigration, and U.S. economic growth.

Renewing America

Some GOP lawmakers have proposed legislation to eliminate birthright citizenship, but legal expert Margaret Stock says these proposals would create vast logistical and social problems and are unlikely to succeed.

The recession has added fuel to the debate over skilled-worker visas, including a recent congressional effort to create stricter rules. CFR's Jagdish Bhagwati says the United States should be welcoming skilled workers and other immigrants.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says a combination of tough enforcement measures and a new system for regulating flows of Mexican labor are essential for reforming the U.S. immigration system.

"In a noticeable and important shift in global migratory patterns, millions of migrant workers are no longer relying on the U.S. as heavily as they did for better-paying jobs that allowed them to send money home to families in Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia. Instead, they have moved more to developing economies, creating a shift in money transfers out of countries like Chile, Brazil and Malaysia."

"Though the overall number of arrests along the southern U.S. border has fallen near its lowest point in 40 years, there has been a surge of unlawful newcomers from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador since 2011."

Campaign 2012

Neil King Jr. of theWall Street Journal explains that despite several shared beliefs, the Republican Party and the Latino community remain at odds over immigration and how this will influence the presidential elections in November.

Renewing America

They can't open bank accounts, apply for drivers licenses, or go to public universities. But more and more young undocumented youth are "coming out" and finding ways to thrive, writes Julia Lurie in the Atlantic.

2015 Annual Report

Learn more about CFR’s mission and its work over the past year in the 2015 Annual Report. The Annual Report spotlights new initiatives, high-profile events, and authoritative scholarship from CFR experts, and includes a message from CFR President Richard N. Haass.Read and download »